James: Jesus Is The One Who Matures Our Faith
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PREACHING CHRIST THROUGH THE BIBLE |
James: Jesus is the One Who Matures Our Faith
Key Verse:
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. –James 1:2-4
Intro:
"Grow up." How many of us have heard this phrase before? We might have heard it from our parents, teachers, spouses, or maybe you say it to yourself. Our society expects us to grow up and to mature. Immaturity is looked down on and we’re told that it leads us to trouble. We all have different expectations of what a mature person looks like. But I’d like to challenge the exterior indicators we so often use to measure maturity, like age or physical appearances.
Here’s the thing: growing old does not necessarily mean growing up. That couldn’t be more obvious in the Christian walk. Our faith has never been about just getting to Heaven. It has always been about maturing—becoming more like Christ while you’re walking on earth.
So this morning, we’ll be exploring the book of James, which is a letter that offers us a practical portrait of what it means to be fully mature in Christ, who is the standard by which we check and evaluate our walk.
Background:
Alright, time for a pop quiz: Who wrote the book of James? If you said James, you only got half of the question right. Do you know which James? The Bible identifies many men by that name. Even among the 12 disciples of Jesus, there were two. But scholars believe that the writer was James the Just, who was the half-brother of Jesus, which just means that Mary was the mother of James and Joseph was his father.
Now just because James grew up with Jesus in the same home, it didn’t mean he believed Jesus was the Messiah (John 7:5). It was only until Jesus appeared to James after his resurrection (1 Cor 15:7) that he was led to faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Eventually James would become one of the prominent leaders of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:7).
Verse 1 shows something very interesting: James doesn’t identify himself as the brother of Jesus. Instead, he calls himself a "servant of Jesus." For James, Jesus was more than a brother—Jesus was His Lord. James was more than willing to be identified as a servant because he had directly witnessed the life and majesty of Jesus.
James writes this epistle to the first Jewish Christians spread throughout the Roman Empire. It’s believed that the book of James is the first epistle written to the church at around 45-48 A.D., written even before Paul’s letters. James’ purpose was to help the Jewish Christians understand the practical implications of their new faith. Thousands of years since that letter was written, both young and veteran people of the faith today need this book. We need to be reminded that growing in our faith isn’t about just accumulating information about God. Maturing or growing in our faith means that every aspect of our life is affected by our encounter with Jesus. Let’s walk through three points to see how Jesus matures our faith.
I. The Work of Trials (1:2-4)
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
James starts his letter with a word about trials. During those times, being a Jew living in the Roman Empire meant facing harsh discrimination because they were regarded as second class citizens. Adding to the difficulty is their association with a controversial crucified Messiah. James knew this reality and the hardships these believers faced, which is why he wrote "when" and not "if" they face trials. Part of the human experience is that all of us will face trials. It’s one of the corrupting effects of sin and the fall of God’s created order.
The Western worldview proclaims that we need to make every effort to avoid hardships, pain, and suffering. Western culture frames suffering as the thing that gets in the way of the happy life that we deserve. So when we experience suffering, we must reject it. We can do this by blaming something or someone as the cause of the suffering. Tim Keller writes, "In secular culture, the meaning of life is to be free to choose what makes you happy in this life. Suffering destroys that meaning. And so, in the secular view, suffering can have no meaning at all. It can't be a chapter in your life story—it is just the interruption or even the end of your life story."
I’m here to tell you that there is another way to view trials in life. James understood that when trials come to believers, these will naturally test their faith. The word "testing" here carries the picture of proving if something is genuine. It’s not that people have to prove to God that their faith is genuine, as if God wasn’t all-knowing. Actually, it’s that people need to recognize what or who is holding their faith together.
James then expresses that this testing will produce steadfastness. Other translations use the word “endurance” instead of steadfastness. The word “endurance” here is from the ancient Greek word “hupomone” which comes from “hupo” (under) and “meno” (to stay, abide, remain). At its root, it means to remain under. It has the picture of someone under a heavy load and choosing to stay there instead of trying to escape. In the end, it will lead you to be "perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." In other words, trials could work in our lives to give us endurance, and in the end, we’ll mature and have faith that encompasses every aspect of our lives.
To illustrate the meaning of endurance, I need some guys to help me with this part. Don’t be surprised, but I like going to the gym. One of my favorite workouts is the bench press. This workout helps you develop muscles by pushing your body to its limit. To do a bench press, you will have to lift and bring down a weighted bar above you. In order for this workout to be effective, you need to go over the weight you’re comfortable in. If you don’t do this, your muscles will stagnate and you won’t see any growth. Sometimes it’s scary to be under that heavy weight. That's why having a spotter is necessary because when you get to the point of failure, you have someone to help lift the weight with you.
This is what the weight of trials can do for us. The weight can build endurance in us, or to James’ point, make us complete and perfect and mature. When the weight is beyond our ability to lift, our spotter will be ready to help us.
Now here me out: I’m not saying that the sole purpose of suffering in our lives is to test us and our faith stronger. Suffering is complex, and sometimes we won’t even know the reason for our suffering until we’re in Heaven and we’ll fully understand its mystery. But while we’re on earth, the natural effect of these experiences is its testing of our faith. So in every trial, we must understand it has the potential to build us instead of demolish us.
Of course, none of us want to experience pain. But what if we had a different perspective when it does come? What if we looked at trials not as barriers to a happy life but a bridge to a fuller life? James told his readers to count it all joy, knowing there is a purpose to the trials we experience. You see, the goal at the end is not just to be happy but to have a life of joy. According to Pastor Tony Evans, "Happiness is based on our outward circumstances. Joy is a choice that comes from our inner confidence that God works in our lives regardless of our situations."
When we realize pain and suffering are a part of our journey, we are able to fully trust God to use these things to mature us. I think the most joyful and mature Christians I have been blessed to know understand this too. They’ve gone through the darkest days and yet saw Jesus remain faithful through it all. Their lives are testimonies of enduring and growing in remarkable ways.
God isn’t finished with us either. He offers victory over life's heaviest trials. This is our hope. James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."
II. The Way of Wisdom (1:5-8)
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
James proceeds to write on the subject of wisdom. Since these Jewish believers would be facing trials, which could tempt them to follow their own wills and desires instead of God’s will for their lives, James encourages them to seek God for wisdom to help them navigate through this while fully standing on God’s wisdom and not waver.
This is the picture of doubt in this passage. It’s when one steps in and out of God’s wisdom depending on what seems to be convenient in certain times. James uses the illustration of a wave that is merely tossed back and forth by the wind to caution against living like a double-minded person.
So, what is wisdom? According to Thomas Constable, "Wisdom is seeing life realistically from God's perspective." Having this kind of wisdom leads those to walk through life in a different way. The book of James is comparable to Proverbs because they both deal with wisdom from God. Both books paint a picture of a wise person. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."
How do we receive wisdom? You start by having the right view and relationship with God. Proverbs 9:10 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." Our reverence and awe of God lead us to live on the path He wants us to live on.
In our own walks of faith, we also need to seek God's wisdom. With each step, we fully stand on how He leads. Along the way, He’ll give us heavenly wisdom to walk in this chaotic and unbalanced world. Life’s ebbs and flows won’t dictate where you put your trust. Believe that God is leading you all the way through. He will make us wise as we follow Him in every step we take.
How does wisdom work? You see, God doesn’t spell out every single choice we need to take in life. He won’t tell us what specific career to choose. He won’t show us exactly how to act in our relationships. He won’t give us direct answers to our every single problem. He doesn’t give us the A to Z for every direction. Instead, He molds us into wise people who will be able to choose His will when making decisions in life.
What will wisdom look like? If we are growing in wisdom, we’ll exemplify what James 2:17-18 says: "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." In a world full of division, anger, and outrage; the world needs wise people who live out the virtues that James listed. Wise believers will be a breath of fresh air to a world suffocated in darkness.
III. The Word of Freedom (1:22-25)
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."
Another point of emphasis in the book of James is the relationship between believers and God's Word. It’s never enough to hear God’s Word and not act on it. James uses the illustration of gazing at one's reflection in a mirror and not changing anything.
So I was a messy kid. There would be times, I would eat my mom’s spaghetti and my face would be covered in sauce. I would see myself in the mirror but I wouldn’t care. I’d go play, eat, sleep, and do whatever I wanted to do until my mom called me out and cleaned me up. Today, when I notice a smudge on my face, I will wash it off because I’ve grown up and I know I need to be clean. Also, if I don’t clean up after myself, I’d be in trouble with my wife.
James said that if believers study God's Word and don’t do anything about it, they’d be like a person forgetting what they’ve seen in the mirror. They don't realize they're already covered in filth and yet still live as if they’re in a good position with God. They’ve forgotten the life God has for them. God's Word should lead to change and transformation.
When we read God’s Word, we’re looking into the perfect law—the law of liberty. God's Word leads to freedom. Now, what kind of freedom is James saying here? It's not the kind of freedom to do whatever we want. It’s the freedom to love.
We can love God and love others freely and fully. We see this in James 2:8: "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scriptures, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well." James 1:27 says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
This is why James says that the faith you have should directly lead to good works. If not, there is a misalignment between our knowledge of God’s Word and our life. James 2:14-17 says, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled, without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
If we’re not growing in love for others, especially those who are in need, then we’re not truly free. Our inner passions and desires still control us, which means we can even act as enemies of God (James 4:1-7). God's Word should constantly change and transform us to love. His Word points us to love God with our all and love others as ourselves.
If we don't demonstrate our faith with our love, we are missing the point. Our maturity in the faith isn’t defined by the quantity of Bible knowledge. Our faith doesn’t mature by merely listening to a sermon. Our faith doesn’t grow just by sitting in a Sunday service. Our faith was never meant to just be studied. It was meant to be demonstrated in the world. Christians grow when we love. Part of maturing is getting out of the church building and loving people the way Jesus commanded us. Love is not static. Love moves, like how God moved from heaven to earth to show His love for humanity.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said
If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don't want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy tell him not to talk too long. Every now and then I wonder what I want him to say.
Tell him not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize--that isn't important. Tell not to mention that have 300 or 400 other awards--that's not important. Tell him not to mention where I went to school.
I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody.
Conclusion:
So what is James trying to tell us today? He tells us to grow up. Growing up means we can endure the trials this life has for us. Growing up means seeking God's wisdom to lead us in this journey of life. Growing up means we love Him ultimately and those all around us freely.
What makes us confident that we can grow up in our faith? Because Jesus showed us the way. He endured suffering on the cross for the joy of being with you and me. He’s the wisdom of God that leads us in this journey of life. He’s the One that taught us how to love freely. So, BCI, let's grow up together and we’ll see that Jesus is the One who will mature our faith and lead us to greater heights.
As I end, let me quote the Apostle Paul. "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:11-12
-Rev. Jerusalem Ona